Stormy Skies
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: Francine is in class when she realizes the weather has turned for the worse. When disaster strikes, can she lead in the face of danger? For my 10x10 Challenge/NaNo2018


Francine (1): an emergency event (3)

 _Stormy Skies_

Francine looked up from her work as lightning flashed outside the window. She knew it had gotten dark outside, but the sudden flash startled her from her work. Thunder rolled through the building, and Francine looked up to realize other students were staring outside as well. Francine studied her classmates before looking up to the clock. It was an hour fast, the product of a poor university budget, but it was two early regardless for how dark it was.

"Alright, class, I think it's time we dismissed and sought shelter. Be careful out there," the professor announced, closing his book and beginning to pack his things. Students flooded out of the lecture hall, their voices echoing in every direction until they became a swarm of voices. Francine studied the scene outside again before packing her own things and following them out.

Elwood City University was normally a fifteen-minute walk from Francine's house. She shared it with Muffy, Fern, and Emmy, a girl they met at college during their freshman term. The girls clicked and sometimes carpooled, but today they had all walked. Francine checked the group message and found they were all huddled in the caf waiting for the impending rain to leave. Francine joined them after snagging a piece of pizza from the line.

"I'm thinking about calling Bailey to come get us. I've got chemistry work to do but my textbook is at the apartment," Muffy said.

Emmy shook her head, "No, it's about to get really dicey out there. Just use mine."

"Okay," Muffy said, using her phone to figure out her next assignment. She pulled out a notebook a moment later and started to work.

Fern turned to Francine, "How was the professor today?"

Francine's previous professor was a young doctorate student in his early thirties. Fern found him to be dreamy, but Francine, who was just looking to pass this last core English class before her real classes, could care less. She was about to respond when suddenly the lights flickered and went out.

"Great, just great! How am I supposed to see now?" Muffy huffed.

"Maybe move by the window?" Fern suggested.

Emmy shook her head and the others followed her gaze. Before it was just dark, with just enough light for you to make out the clouds rolling overhead, but now it was pitch black. Solar lights hidden within the nearby landscaping fully illuminated spots that shouldn't have been that dark.

"Are we under any warnings or anything?" Fern asked with a whimper as she pulled out her phone.

Francine was able to pull it up first, "Looks like we're under a tornado watch but nothing else."

"What does that mean?" Muffy asked dramatically, slamming Emmy's book shut and gathering her things, "Do we need to run somewhere? Should I call Bailey?"

"Leave Bailey out of this," Francine said, looking up as some jocks ran into the caf. Voices overlapped immediately, so she couldn't make out what they were saying. None of the girls could, but they noticed people running deeper into the building.

"I think there's a tornado coming," Emmy said, putting away her chemistry book, "Let's follow them."

Francine got up with them, but she went over to the jocks first to get a confirmation. Sure enough, they had run over from Smith Hall, the tallest building on campus. At the top, students were watching a tornado approaching the campus. It was already devouring parts of the city, and the tornado was the reason the power was now out.

People were still meandering around the caf when Francine turned around. This was unacceptable to her. She used a chair to get on top of a table. Using her loudest voice, she commanded the young adults to seek shelter, that a tornado was coming. The jocks followed her lead, jumping onto tables and shouting to get people to move faster.

In a flash, the students were rushing into the depths of the building. Francine remained, standing on the table, looking out in the blackness. She saw a flash in the distance like lightning, but it seemed to flicker like a flame before going out. A light across campus that was still on flickered out.

A jock grabbed her shoulders, "There it is. Run!" he said, pulling her off the table easily.

Together they ran into the halls. The caf was attached to Matthews Hall, which lacked a basement but had plenty of cavernous hallways that were now filled with boisterous college students. Francine and her jock savior called out to the group:

"TAKE COVER! IT'S COMING! TAKE COVER!"

Their shouts worked. People sat on the floor and used their overly expensive textbooks to protect their heads. Lights from cellphones went out as people put them away to cover their heads. The hallway was soon a cavern of darkness.

Silence filled the air as the tension rose, but that only confirmed the announcement. A distinct roar filled the air, almost like a freight train in the distance, though there were loud booms and cracks as well.

Suddenly a gust of wind filled the hallway, then it was swirling around them. The tornado was powering over the top of them, sending debris and every direction. A girl screamed as a fire extinguisher was ripped from its housing and thrown into the wall, sending white foam shooting out over a large group of students, who screamed with them, not that anyone could hear.

The tornado was on top of them now, the roaring so loud no one could hear themselves think. Francine, who was close to the caf, felt the tornado's winds pulling her towards the exit. The jock from before noticed her sliding away from him and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her down. His other arm was wrapped around a small column.

This was the only thing holding them in the building. For what felt like ages, people were pulled and pulled as they fought the forces of nature, but nothing could stop her from doing her worst. Glass shattered as doors were pulled from their hinges, and soon flying debris within the hall was a bigger problem as more and more of the building was destroyed.

Suddenly silence filled the air, almost as loud as the tornado itself. People didn't know what to think, but Francine did a self-check, making sure her limbs were there and that she wasn't hurt. She was sore and her heart was pounding, but she was okay. Her jock friend was as well.

Together they stood and took in the damage. They could see light coming from various directions, mostly places it shouldn't be coming from, places where the building once stood. Francine started helping people up as best as she could. She looked for anyone she knew, but she didn't find anyone. She grabbed her bag and started moving through the crowd, helping people make their way to the exits.

They were dazed and confused, a feeling that wasn't helped by being outside. The tornado sliced through the campus, cutting a quarter-mile path through anything in its way. Some buildings were untouched, but others were completely destroyed. Smith Hall was one of them, but no one could run there. There was debris covering everything—no one was getting anywhere fast without getting hurt.

Francine found Muffy huddled near where a tree once stood. She was trying to call Bailey, but none of her calls went through. Emmy appeared nearby covered in mud. She was close to a wall that was blown out, sending water from a broken fountain and dirt all over them. Fern appeared in the same shape, except she had a hoodie pressed to her face. She'd been cut by the flying debris and needed medical attention, but no officials were there.

"Let's walk to the nurse's office, I guess," Francine whispered. She and Emmy led Fern across campus, but the nurse was overwhelmed. Some people had broken bones, while a handful of others had cuts like Fern. Some students were there to have panic attacks and anxiety attacks. Some screamed while others cried, and still more sat on the dirty pavement and stared at nothing, too stunned to do anything.

"I need Bailey!" Muffy screamed, catching up to them, "Let's walk to my house. He'll be there."

"No, it's too dangerous. What if there are power lines?" Francine said firmly, but Muffy was dead set on wandering away. She joined up with another group of students and disappeared into the city.

"It look clearer over there. Let's go and wait for emergency officials," Emmy suggested. They followed her lead only to find the remains of a parking lot. A few car pieces littered the ground, but everything else was gone.

"Why is it bleeding so much?" Fern whimpered, checking the hoodie only to have Francine push it back again. Francine took the hoodie in her hands and tied it tightly around her face.

"There, leave it. Head wounds bleed more than anyone else. You'll be okay as long as you're with us," Francine said.

Fern nodded and said nothing as they waited. Soon other students poured into the parking lot, many of them sitting with the girls. When it was clear that no one was coming, they decided it might not be such a bad idea to start walking. Others joined them with their injured friends. Elwood City General Hospital was only a few blocks away, so they started walking.

What should've been a five-minute walk took thirty as they weaved through broken pieces of the city. Francine had spent almost her entire life among those streets, but she recognized almost nothing. When they reached the chaotic hospital, they were forced to leave the injured behind before venturing back into the city. Francine and Emmy started walking towards the apartment, both of them following the paths others had made so they knew they wouldn't step on any fallen power lines.

Hours later, they arrived to find their apartment was spared. They were filthy, so they sat outside to rest. Their balcony overlooked the city, which now had a deep gash running right down the middle. Francine studied it and shook her head. She didn't know how she survived this event—luck maybe? What she did know was that she'd never forget it as long as she'd live.

~End

A/N: Might Number 12—12 pieces down, 88 to go. I'm doing a 10x10 Challenge for NaNo2018. For more info, see my profile. If you'd like to join me, let me know. Keep in mind you can take however long you need to do the challenge. I'm just crazy lol.


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